News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-28
A SINGULAR STORY.
A Prestidigitatcur Among the Bank
of England Notes,

"Talking of prestidigitateurs," said g
travelled citizen, edo you remember
Anderson, the Wizard of the North,
he called himself? | remember years
ago he closed his engagement in Lon.
don at Covent Garden Theatre, by Civ
ing a masquerade ball, and while the
masqueraders We're in the midst of theil
revels the theatre took fire and was
burned to the ground, the masqueraders
escaping through the windows, and
barely saving their lives. He was called
by many the incarnation of the Evil
One from the marvellous tricks he per
formed.
''One in particular I will mention.
He asked if any one in the audience
would lend him Bank of England note,
and an old, dilapidated e5 note, backed
with nine signatures, was handed to
him, the owner having just taken note
of the date and number of the note, and
the signatures, some of which were well
known to the holder of the note. Prof.
Anderson took the note and held it
apparently in the flame of candle until
it was consumed, coolly remarking to
the gentleman who handed it to him, 4
am sorry for your note The audience.
of course, enjoyed the joke immensely,
but, after performing few other tricks,
he suddenly turned to the loaner of the
note and said:
"'Where would you like to have your
note from, this lemon or this loaf of
breads!
"The lemon was chosen, whereupon
the wizard severed the lemon in the cen
tire and drew out new, crisp Bank of
England note of the same denomination,
and handed it to the gentleman. Know
ing the one he handed to the wizard was
old, dirty, and with worn edges, care
full scrutiny was at once made. The
date and number were found to cores
pond, and the endorsements on the back
were intact
''The wizard inquired: is that the
note you gave me, sir? and ON receiving
the reply, TT appears to be, but the one
[ gave you was an old note, but this is
new one,' coolly replied: 1T has gone
through cleaning process. Not feeling
satisfied, the owner of the note the next
day showed it to the person he received
it from, and whose signature it bore, anC
said: is that your signature"
Eyes, he said, but that is not the
note l gave you; gave you an old one.
"On the circumstances being ex
planned, the two went to the Bank o;
England and presented it for payment.
The paying teller examined it carefully
and paid it, and was then asked, Is that
not good one!'
''He again eqamined it critically, and
said, Yes, but it is remarkably clean
and new for note bearing that date.
Why do you ask?
"He was then told what had occurred,
and invited the persons into the direc
tors room, where the details were given
to a director A member of the firm OF
counsel of the Bank of Eng
land, was summoned, and in his presence
and that of detective the circumstances
were again related. The note was pro
nounced to be good one, and the
secret possessed by the wizard mos |
dangerous one for the bank. It wal |
that a note which was private |
" marked and bore signatures especial |
y put there, should be presented to tho |
wizard the next night by the same per-
son who gave him the mystery as il |
vas called, the detective to sit by him
md witness the operation. The note
ent was an old one hundred pound
,ank post bill. The wizard took it,
heated it in the same manner as he did
he five pound note and with the same
esult, but how he did it no one could
ind out.